New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-05
A CITY HOME.
TUE EXPERIENCES OF A HoUsE-HUNrER.

IL wh0lehearted as IL Is unostentatiouS 40 " 'uS
tration OF this refreshing truth submit the following
which was mailed to me few days ago unaocompanied
by a request for publication:
II Mr.. and Mrs Richard and Prudence Scudder have
not been suited In city have Just me
hrstclass ncighborhood was leased to May l. at ooo
tax Now vacant. The house viii be presented free for
and tenants may remain ten years II they so e
sire vacate without notice In ten days Landlord VIII
do all repairs pay interest money and taxes deliver the
house in perfect order and comply with all ordinances
OF the Board OF Health and all city departments appca
bic thereto Gas furnished at 81 per month payable an
nualy WI IN due mo deposit required Landlord VIII
under the penalty OF forfeiture and damages. A beaut-
fIl nuggetof pure native silver brass pedestal pre-
Certificate AZ Signed by stean co showing said nugget
found by alloy lweghttwentyf five poundsl Landlord
p M ana at his house from p to a. m front door
left OPEN Full history Of the neghbors in type writ
key lost The walls will be first thoroughly washed down,
etc. and papered then painted creme de la creme u ae;
and reprinted Night and day watchmsn furnished ed IL
church Coal at cost long time; many little trifles OF
furniture can be graciously loaned to tenant ana denv
cred free Furnaces and ranges warranted never 10 wear
out Rubbish willingly removed by landlord at expra,
ton of term beautiful chrome printed on .ne PACK o.
An inspector of the Board Of Health IN IH sr r
pires Obligations signed In blank to carry out above De-
scribcd agreement may be had free on appncaton ~
objection to dogs, cats tame or wild animals Notary
always H. Land Agent
There generosity for you, pressed together shaSeh
down aud running over But Prudence and are reluc
family compelled to decline tempting offer for the rea-
son that we have house While indeed as thickly
hedged about with primo mercos the precious piece
OF real estate which we asked TO accept is nome
which ind to be sweet and satisfying III we coaiu
had the refusal months earlier or the mansion
offered by F-but what Is the OF specuatinsf inc
gift which we would have hailed an unspeakaole boon
aafs and 6niin
too late s-Most things reach too late. including
district boys and for dinner ordered
through the telephone
"while we send for tho napkin the soup gets cold
While the bonnet is trimming the face grows OLD,
When we've matched our buttons the pattern IL SOLD,
And everything comes-too late, too late"
We are just as much obliged to our thoughtful I'M
known friend but the house which she tenders us We
must decline.
have remarked that VIC havo house Of onr own: and
the story Of our evolution from natkeepns to house
keeping Il perhaps not without instruction for tn
young and inexperienced who engaged In trying to
solve r themselves tho problem Of how to live In this
metropolis .Aftcr had occupied our iat quarters for
about a year heard voice you cannot hear which
beckone1 us away" Prudence the first TO hear the
voice The result was that she reminded that by tho
terms OF our agreement with each other wore merely
pilgrims and strangers In fat the understanding being
whom we came to NewYork that We would tarry In
apartments only long enough TO find house to our
fancy-our fancy being tempered by our means. was
inclined IN change the subject when she first broached
IT, for after harassing campaign for OATS shrank
from house-huntlng. burnt child never makes good
Chief Engineer OF the Fire Department Finding could
not change tho subject began TO temporize
Now Prudence don't you think had better leave
we'll enough alonel Isn't flat In hand with cabinet
trimmings worth two houses whose ceilings may como
down the bush Isn't dinner of herbs In Hat In
which everything is in ORDER and busted better than
Hal IN n hons viii
whose roof may leak !"
But Prudence not moved by these inclsive ques-
tons She insisted upon the exodus must get out OF
a fat and get into house. fat, she declared, was
not to be thought OF as permanent thing.
1t not homo. Richard, although grant you TINS
one OF ours is very homelke The interiused life OF
parents and childreD1'
The what Prudencer
The nterfused life OF parents and children Is best do
veloped am beneath roof til covers but single
family home for each brood is evidently Natures
plan You never heard Richard, OF dat nests built to
accommodate O score OF families of birds"
NO Prudence never did, but hare heard OF ants
living In fat called a HILL and Of fishes living in fat
called shoal and OF bees living in fat called hive
What you say, II you'll excuse and kno y you WON'T
Of soft sentiment than OF hard sense There
Is deep rooted prejudice abroad in tho world In favor
OF the one-famy roof idea against the Hat
dea Is 1t anything more than preludcel What's the
matter with this OF ours We do not have our privacy
invaded do we Are not as much by ourselves rs II
We were the only occuYants OF the bunding We have
lived here now for year and do not much as know
OF the people just across the hall Now and then
lady gentleman in the elevators with that ex
ceptlon never anybody in the building except my
own family from one weeks end to the other. So
should like to know what prevents family life from
nourishing like green bay tree In such conditional
feel sure Tn right" rejoned Prudence, although
do not feel 80 that can make you see that Pm
ght II seems 10 me, Richard. that homo ought to
possess a distinct individuality ought to inspire afec-
ton fat house has no individuality You and remem
Der our homes in the with great tenderness Do
YOU suppose that children will look back with
similar emotions tho days they lived in natf No.
Richard. homo life is made OF different stuff"
50 the debate went on IL ended OF course, with my
being won over to prudencos side That accomplished,
we agreed that we would SET about finding house.
But whereaboutsi Uptown DOWNTOWN Above or
below Fiftynnth-sti On the East side the West
side, or somewhere betweeni On which side
OF the street On tho north or the south side
In case buy upon one OF the cross streets
on tho east the west side II we should
settle on one OF the avenues II. without sacri-
Acing considerations OF moro Importance we cannot
secure southern exposure for the front rooms will
put up with n castle which the sunike shy bookagent
steals the back door After carefully consider
ing these questions for a good many long evenings
unanimously adopted the following resolutions
Resolred, That will buy where get tho most
for the least money.
This done wo cut all the For Sale advertisements
from the daily papers marking the eligible ones with
blue pencil As result OF considerable study Of this sort
literature in connection with tho real estate TO which
IL calls attention we reached these general conclu
sons which house hunters would 10 well to and
paste In their hats
/. When advertisement speaks OF honse being
near Fifth or Madison being near an elevated
road station, but without stating how is pretty
safe conclude that when you the property in qies
ton you will feel like excaimng Thou art and
yet 80 far" II sdverses that his house Is within
half block OF this that you know what he
means But near" is altogether too elastic For IN